PATNA, Oct. 4 -- The Nitish Kumar government on Friday approved a 3% hike in dearness allowance (DA) for state employees and pensioners, with just days left for the announcement of the assembly elections. DyCM and finance minister Samrat Choudhary said the move, described as a "festival gift", would put an additional burden of Rs.917.78 crore on the state exchequer this fiscal. "In line with the Centre's recent decision for Central employees, the state government has also raised DA from 55% to 58%, effective from July 1," Choudhary said. He added the hike would benefit five lakh employees and over six lakh pensioners. "The government is committed to providing relief to employees and pensioners ... It is a gift ahead of Diwali and Chhath," he said. The announcement came alongside a series of approvals at the state cabinet meeting, where 129 proposals were cleared. The bond period for postgraduate students in government medical colleges has been reduced from three years to two. Students unable to complete the bond will now only have to pay the penalty, and not return remuneration earned during the service period along with the penalty for not completing the full duration of the bond period. Briefing news persons after the cabinet meeting, ACS, finance Arvind Chaudhary said the cabinet had agreed to extend the Chief Minister's Self-Help Allowance to graduates in arts, science, or commerce, allowing them to receive a monthly assistance of Rs.1,000 for two years. Until now, only unemployed young men and women aged 20 to 25 years, having completed 12th grade or equivalent, were receiving this benefit. Chaudhary said the government will provide Rs.25,000 each to 9,817 Vikas Mitras working under Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission to purchase tablets. Also, 28,000 Shiksha Sevikas will receive Rs.10,000 each to purchase smartphones. Each Shiksha Sevika will also receive Rs.12,000 annually for teaching materials, instead of Rs.3,405. This will benefit 30,000 Shiksha Sevikas,. Chaudhary said scholarship for children in grades 1 to 10 has been doubled. This will benefit approximately 1.5 crore students. The annual scholarship for children in grades 1 to 4 has been increased from Rs.600 to Rs.1,200, while for grades 5 and 6 it has been increased from Rs.1,200 to Rs.2,400. Scholarship amount for children in grades 7 to 10 has been raised from Rs.1,800 to Rs.3,600. Education loans up to Rs.4 lakh will now be interest-free. Applicants currently repaying an education loan will also have their remaining loans made interest-free. Currently, education loans up to Rs.4 lakh are given to students at 4% interest. This loan is given to women, disabled and transgender applicants at 1% interest. Loans up to Rs.2 lakh will be repaid in maximum 84 monthly installments, while those above Rs.2 lakh will be repaid in maximum 120 monthly installments. The honorarium of contractual auxiliary nursing midwives was raised from Rs.11,500 to Rs.15,000 per month, with a provision for a 5% annual increment, to strengthen urban vaccination. Short stay homes under CM's Nari Shakti Yojana will be converted into 'Shakti Sadan" centres to provide integrated relief and rehabilitation for women in distress, including trafficking victims....